Prompted by JJB's post about cutting down a cherry tree that didn't deliver, I thought I'd ask at what point do you decide that a fruit tree or bush is a Waste of Space?
Last year I cut down 3 plum trees that had very few plums and were diseased. Unfortunately, the stumps are still there and they're shooting & suckering like crazy.
I've been hacking back a peach tree that is too tall and it overshadows the bean patch. The final straw was finding that a CFB had scrambled up into the tree, totally out of picking reach. It had very little fruit this year and what there was, was too high up to reach and bag. It'll be going soon.
There are others, with question marks over their heads too.
How about yours?
It took me 3 years to decide the blueberries were a waste of space. 5 berries from 2 bushes in those 3 years.
The pear tree was also a waste of time. Didn’t produce much and what it did was always like bullets.
Three years ago I bought a patio plum,patio cherry,patio pear and patio Mulberry.
All are planted in large pots and in three years I have had one pear, no cherries, no plums and a few tiny Mulberries.
I am loathe to chuck em out so I may plant them in the garden and give them another chance?
I bought the dwarf mulberry, raspberry and blackberry too. Total waste of money and space. the mulberry died, the raspberries are still there but the fruit is tiny compared to a real raspberry and I haven't a clue what happened to the blackberry.
(24-09-2023, 06:17 PM)Small chilli Wrote: [ -> ]It took me 3 years to decide the blueberries were a waste of space. 5 berries from 2 bushes in those 3 years.
The pear tree was also a waste of time. Didn’t produce much and what it did was always like bullets.
I'm surprised the blueberries didn't do well for you. You're on very peaty soil right, so it should be quite acidic? My soil is only slightly acidic clay-loam and the blueberries thrive in a mix of 50/50 soil and peat, plus some sulphur chips once a year.
(26-09-2023, 12:29 PM)toomanytommytoes Wrote: [ -> ] (24-09-2023, 06:17 PM)Small chilli Wrote: [ -> ]It took me 3 years to decide the blueberries were a waste of space. 5 berries from 2 bushes in those 3 years.
The pear tree was also a waste of time. Didn’t produce much and what it did was always like bullets.
I'm surprised the blueberries didn't do well for you. You're on very peaty soil right, so it should be quite acidic? My soil is only slightly acidic clay-loam and the blueberries thrive in a mix of 50/50 soil and peat, plus some sulphur chips once a year.
Yeah we’re on very acidic soil. Don’t know how long the blueberries had been in the garden. They were there when we moved in. I’m guessing not long as they weren’t very big plants. So I think 3 years was more than a fair chance for them.
My blueberries don't do much either; their salvation is the autumn coloured leaves - so they're reprieved.
I'll be taking out a couple more plum trees this winter. They've suckered at the base and reverted to spiny things. Never fruited and they've been there a few years.
I hate to say it but my blueberries thrive, I have sowed them only in ericaceous compost plus periodic doses of coffee grinds, granulated seaweed, and occasional liquid feeds of seaweed. I’m looking forward next year to hopefully some pink lemonade blueberries on the Bush I planted this year. I will say all 6 bushes are different types, and the 4 that were fruiting this year 2 had lovely big juicy berries and the other 2 were mainly small berries of which 1 was sweet and the other slightly bitter.
(26-09-2023, 01:45 PM)Small chilli Wrote: [ -> ] (26-09-2023, 12:29 PM)toomanytommytoes Wrote: [ -> ] (24-09-2023, 06:17 PM)Small chilli Wrote: [ -> ]It took me 3 years to decide the blueberries were a waste of space. 5 berries from 2 bushes in those 3 years.
The pear tree was also a waste of time. Didn’t produce much and what it did was always like bullets.
I'm surprised the blueberries didn't do well for you. You're on very peaty soil right, so it should be quite acidic? My soil is only slightly acidic clay-loam and the blueberries thrive in a mix of 50/50 soil and peat, plus some sulphur chips once a year.
Yeah we’re on very acidic soil. Don’t know how long the blueberries had been in the garden. They were there when we moved in. I’m guessing not long as they weren’t very big plants. So I think 3 years was more than a fair chance for them.
I wonder if your soil is too acidic for them to do well. You could perhaps add some lime to increase the pH by 1 or so, or plant in half soil half compost/coir. They are well worth having if you can get them to grow, we got a couple of kilograms off each plant this year and they're nowhere near full size.
(27-09-2023, 12:11 AM)toomanytommytoes Wrote: [ -> ] (26-09-2023, 01:45 PM)Small chilli Wrote: [ -> ] (26-09-2023, 12:29 PM)toomanytommytoes Wrote: [ -> ] (24-09-2023, 06:17 PM)Small chilli Wrote: [ -> ]It took me 3 years to decide the blueberries were a waste of space. 5 berries from 2 bushes in those 3 years.
The pear tree was also a waste of time. Didn’t produce much and what it did was always like bullets.
I'm surprised the blueberries didn't do well for you. You're on very peaty soil right, so it should be quite acidic? My soil is only slightly acidic clay-loam and the blueberries thrive in a mix of 50/50 soil and peat, plus some sulphur chips once a year.
Yeah we’re on very acidic soil. Don’t know how long the blueberries had been in the garden. They were there when we moved in. I’m guessing not long as they weren’t very big plants. So I think 3 years was more than a fair chance for them.
I wonder if your soil is too acidic for them to do well. You could perhaps add some lime to increase the pH by 1 or so, or plant in half soil half compost/coir. They are well worth having if you can get them to grow, we got a couple of kilograms off each plant this year and they're nowhere near full size.
Only worth having if you like them
. I’ve seen other blueberries on the island doing very well. With masses of fruit on them. So I think you’re probably right the soil was at the incorrect ph for them. I was fairly new to gardening when I got the garden full of fruit bushes. So the not knowing along side the not liking them. Poor things didn’t really stand a chance. They got given to a budding young gardener along with most of my raspberries & gooseberries.